NCEL: Back-to-back wins for relegation threatened Armthorpe

Josh Schofield bagged a hat trick on his debut as Armthorpe Welfare secured a vital 3-0 win at home to Pontefract Collieries on Tuesday night.

The victory saw relegation-threatened Welfare move out of the NCEL Premier Division drop zone and up to 19th (fourth from bottom).

Schofield broke the deadlock from the penalty spot after 19 minutes following a foul that led to the guilty Pontefract defender seeing red.

The visitors remained in contention until the debutant completed his treble with two goals in the last five minutes to wrap up a crucial win.

Armthorpe have now secured back-to-back wins against sides in and around them at the foot of the table.

Brigg Town, just a point worse off than Welfare, have dropped into the bottom two.

Armthorpe, who saw last Saturday’s clash at hig flying Worksop Town postponed, face another tough fixture this weekend when they entertain title-chasing Bridlington Town.

Welfare will be looking for a first win in six against the Seasiders at Church Street with the visitors having emerged triumphant in three of the previous five.

Indeed you have to go back to December 2009 for the last time Armthorpe beat Bridlington at home, when goals from Henry Sibenge and David Buck saw them run out 2-1 winners.

Maltby Main would have been disappointed their home clash against relegated threatened Brigg Town was postponed at the weekend.

The Miners are in a rich vein of form and would no doubt had fancied making it six straight wins having romped to a 5-1 midweek victory at Retford United.

The game was all over bar the shouting inside the first 14 minutes as goals from Gary Hibbert, Ryan Carroll, Lewis Bemrose and Sam Forster had Maltby 4-0 up. Carroll added the fifth early in the second half, his seventh in the last three outings, before Retford scored a late consolation effort from the penalty spot.

Maltby will not be short on confidence this weekend when they go to Sandy Lane, Worksop, to take on title-chasing Handsworth Parramore.

The hosts have won four in an unbeaten run of five games but Maltby look in the mood to throw a spanner in the works of their title ambitions.